A winner here in 2008, Lewis Hamilton makes no secret of his desire to add to his tally at the circuit forever associated with his racing hero, Ayrton Senna.

While some see the Monaco event as nothing more than a gimmick on the F1 calendar, Hamilton is one of those racers still caught up in the magic. His Brazilian hero having scored some of his finest victories here, and also one of his most monumental errors, the Englishman is keen to score a second win.

"Monaco is spectacular," he told reporters. "Personally, I don't think it's like any other race. It's unique and special in its own way, and winning here gives you the most incredible feelings."

His team has taken pole for the last three races, though many see this purely as a sort of marketing play. Knowing that having no realistic hope of victory on Sunday, Mercedes goes all-out to take pole on Saturday.

However, dominating the front row on the twisty streets of Monaco is a ploy that might just work, should one driver ride shotgun for his teammate.

Hamilton insists however that his team might yet win the race without having to resort to such measures, insisting that it is working flat-out to understand its issues with the 2013 rubber (having also suffered with the 2011 and 2012 varieties).

"A huge amount of work has gone into understanding where we are," he said. "It's real science, and all these scientists are trying to understand our situation. I don't think we will be as bad here as we were in Spain, and I definitely think we'll have a better weekend.

"It's so difficult to pass here," he continued. "Last year Mark (Webber) controlled the race from the front, in a very competitive car. If you can start from the front and are able to get the set-up right so that you are able to manage the tyres, you can control the race and win."

Whether the Mercedes scientists have come up with a solution or not, the English driver spent much of Wednesday sporting a huge grin, strolling through the paddock and garages with his dog, Roscoe.

Check out our Wednesday gallery, here.